Rosenthal Wine Merchants Tasting
Le Petit Bijou
Thursday, Feb 2nd 4-6pm
*Our original location- 103 North Side Square*
$20 Per Person (Wine Tasting Only)
Reservations Requested. Call 256-964-7980
Presented by special guests,
Joseph Franklin of Rosenthal Wine Merchants
&
Beth Farris of Grassroots Imports
"This discipline, the marvelous logic that underpins the system, is necessary to deal with the pain, the hard work, the capriciousness of daily life and still produce wine of compelling character...
The vast arrays of viticultural regions in France are all bound together by these rules. We respect those guidelines because they are put in place for the single purpose of producing wines that express their respective terroir. That concept is the foundation of everything we do as wine merchants."
2021 La Manarine Cotes-du-Rhone Blanc, Rhone Valley, France $18.99
The sole white wine of the estate is produced from a blend of Clairette and Bourboulenc. The grapes are fermented in temperature-controlled cement tanks and are left in contact with the fine lies for several months. Bottling takes place in early spring of the year following harvest. Production is quite limited; 2400 bottles are reserved for our use in the USA. Organic.
2017 Bitouzet-Prieur Bourgogne Aligote, Burgundy, France $35.99
A committed classicist, Vincent Bitouzet has provided us with over thirty-years worth of structured, demanding, age-worthy, satisfying wines, both red and white, from the heart of the Cote de Beaune. Based in Volnay and blessed with extensive holdings in Meursault as well, this domaine is a tried and true standard bearer for all that is fundamentally good and sound in Burgundy: conscientious and sensitive work in the vineyards, respect above all for the specific character of each lieu-dit, patience and attention to detail in the cellar, and a commitment to producing wines of depth and, of critical importance, longevity. To truly understand great white and red burgundy, one must wait for these grand expressions of terroir to mature to reveal their splendor and spectacular nuance.
Vincent and Francois Bitouzet rigorously tend their vineyards, practicing organic viticulture that includes practices such as “sexual confusion” to reduce insect infestations, the use of organic compost when necessary, no herbicides or pesticides and severe limitations on the use of copper sulfate. Harvest is done manually. Classic Burgundian vinification is practiced at this traditional domaine. Only indigenous yeasts are used. The whites are fermented and aged in barrel. There is extensive lees contact to develop richness and complexity. Usually not more than 20% of the cuvée will be exposed to new oak. The whites are normally bottled between 15 and 18 months after harvest.
2020 Jean-Marc Pillot "Les Hautes des Champs" Bourgogne Blanc, Burgundy, France $38.99
100 % Chardonnay. Organic.
Each layer of this wine is soft, creamy, and filling yet a tensile backbone springloaded with freshness and acidity keeps it lively throughout. This rare ability to dance atop piano-wire tension with incredible depth and density is always the appeal of top Chassagne bottlings. You can expect refreshing, luscious fruit notes of yellow apple, yellow peach, Meyer lemon, lime zest, acacia, crushed stone, lees, and light baking spices. Spontaneous fermentation in stainless steel before allowing it to mature in an equal blend of stainless and neutral French barrels for one year on fine lees. It is always bottled unfiltered.
From a parcel on the southeastern end of Chassagne Montrachet, this wine now passes its elevage in stainless steel tank to preserve its freshness. It shares the broad shoulders and dense texture of the wines of Chassagne. Bottled twelve months after the harvest, this wine establishes the base-line for the generous, open style adopted by Jean-Marc Pillot for all of his wines.
2021 Souderie Rose de Loire "L'Astree", Loire Valley, France $25.99
"The Rosé de Loire "L’Astrée" is 100% Gamay—a variety whose occasional tendency toward shapelessness is counterbalanced by this cool microclimate—and this is a wine of ethereally pale color and juicy but controlled fruit, pressed directly and aged for four months in stainless steel."
2020 Jean-Marc Pillot "Grand Terres" Bourgogne Rouge, Burgundy, France $38.99
Jean-Marc Pillot is the fourth generation of his branch of the Pillot family to tend vineyards in Chassagne Montrachet. He joined his father, Jean, in 1985 to learn the craft of “vigneron”.
Pinot Noir. This little red is a favorite of ours for its rustic, wild berry fruit and ebullient palate presence. The vineyard is located south of Chassagne in the town of Remigny. Some of the vines are quite old, approaching the 60-year mark (as of 2012).
2020 La Manarine Cotes-du-Rhone Rouge, Rhone Valley, France $18.99
Domaine la Manarine was created by Gilles Gasq in April 2001. The winery and majority of his vineyards are located within the commune of Travaillan, on a splendid plateau northeast of Orange in the southern Rhone. Gilles is a talented vigneron who has honed his skills working as an assistant to Paul Jeune, the proprietor of Domaine Monpertuis in Chateauneuf-du-Pape.
Domaine La Manarine practices organic viticulture. Work in the cellar is minimal with little intervention. Fermentations are left to start with indigenous yeasts, with no fining and only a light filtration is utilized if needed. Considering the personal attention and great care invested in his wines, his five bottlings offer some of the best value in our entire portfolio.
The standard bearer of the domaine is the Côtes du Rhône Rouge produced from the younger (but not young) vines (average 35 years old) of the estate. This wine is 100% Grenache and produces a classically spicy, full-bodied wine that speaks clearly of the “garrigue” of the region. The grapes are destemmed before the fermentation and the cuvaison is on the order of three weeks duration. The wine is bottled without filtration after twenty to twenty-four months of “elevage”.
2021 Domaine Faillenc Sainte Marie, Corbieres, France $18.99
Remains of a Roman winery have been found at the site of the Domaine Faillenc Sainte Marie, a testament to the ancient tradition of winegrowing at that location. The domaine, in its present form, was founded during the reign of Louis XIV by an officer returning from service on the Indian subcontinent. Situated just outside of the tiny village of Douzens a mere 12 kilometers east of the ancient walled city of Carcassonne, Faillenc Sainte Marie has recovered its past allure under the careful guidance of the energetic Gibert family and now produces an exciting range of red, white, and rose wines.
The Corbières Rouge is made from a blend of Syrah, Grenache and Cinsault. The harvest is partially destemmed before going into the fermentation tanks. The different cépages are fermented together, benefiting from the long maceration period to extract the maximum of flavors and allow them to harmonize before being pressed and aged. This is a wine with enormous character often showing a rustic, somewhat “animal” aspect married to a vivacious wild berry symphony of aromas and flavors. This wine is aged entirely in tank without exposure to barrel aging. The severe weather conditions that are present restrict yields (often as little as 25 hectoliters per hectare) and produce a highly concentrated wine that has a proven track record for ageability.
